Eight years ago today, I made my very first post on this blog.
My sweet boy—the catalyst for 12raisins—was just under two months old. I had publicly declared that not only had I pushed a sweet little human out of my 4’11 frame, I was going to actualize my dream of becoming a published author. And I was going to document the journey as I juggled motherhood, teaching, and writing.
From 2018 to 2021, on and off, I shared the ups and downs of navigating writing dreams, goals, and plans as momming, teaching, and lifeing often got in the way.
My last post was in January 2021.
I fully intended to get back to it, and the unfinished drafts in my folder are proof. In November 2021, I even started a post titled “And Then There Were Two.” My baby girl was about four months old at the time and I still can’t believe I didn’t finish it. That I didn’t share that another sweet little human had been pushed out of my 4’11 frame. I’ve carried around guilt about that. My girl never got the spotlight here—never got her official introduction into this writing journey of mine, even though she changed its entire rhythm.
She joined us in the midst of the COVID pandemic. It was heavy. There was a lot happening in my family and in my friends-that-are-family circle. I had a hard time processing what was unfolding both inside and outside of my world. I tried not to think too deeply about the things that I had no control over and were taking up so much space and weighing me down. And when you avoid processing, you avoid writing.
So this space grew quiet.
But I was still writing.
And during those years—even with inconsistency, with pauses and the lulls—one of my raisins did its thing.
In 2022, I was offered a publishing contract for what would become my debut picture book, Ready, Set, Mango! illustrated by Raz Latif and published by OwlKids Books. It entered the world on April 15, 2025.
I did it.
I became a published author.
It wasn’t “just like that,” of course. It was a lot. It is still a lot. But I am deeply grateful. And I’ve quietly carried the weight of not sharing this part of the journey here—in the very space where I declared the dream out loud.
To the folks I was building community with back then—I hope you’re still writing.
To those who were following along with my reflections—I’m back. I hope you’re still here.
My plan, my hope, is that this blog returns to being a reflective part of my practice as I continue to navigate writing dreams, goals, and plans while momming, teaching, and lifeing. It won’t be easy though, as there is so much more going on now than there was when this all began.
I had bigger plans for this Full Circle post. But my plate is overflowing. I’m overextended and trying not to be overwhelmed. I’m tired. It’s late.
But, I trust myself.
I’ll be back soon to reflect more deeply on what has kept me going, what has slowed me down, and what becoming looks like now.
Still writing dreams, one raisin at a time.
Reflectively yours,
12raisins 🍇✨
12raisins 